Fair Market Price is an estimate of a “fair” price that any given new vehicle can be purchased for. This national estimate, updated monthly, reflects recent market conditions (supply and demand) plus a reasonable dealer markup.

The 2015 Nissan Frontier is one of the more established players in the midsize truck segment. The current generation was introduced as an ’05 model and comes standard with a 2.5L 152hp four-cylinder. For those understandably looking for more power, a 4.0L 261hp V-6 is available, with a stout 281 lb-ft of torque. As a nod to enthusiasts and those who like to row their own, a six-speed manual is standard on V-6 models. Otherwise, a five-speed manual is standard for four-cylinder models, and a five-speed automatic is available on all trims. At the top of the line is the Pro-4X trim. Equipped with Bilstein shocks, an electronic locking rear differential, and skidplates, this is the go-to trim for those looking for a Frontier that is capable on- and off-road. Unfortunately, 10 years on the market virtually unchanged makes this truck feel very long in the tooth. This is even more so compared to the new Colorado/Canyon twins from GM and Toyota’s upcoming 2016 Tacoma. Nevertheless, Nissan recently revamped the global Navara, so expect those changes to trickle down to the Frontier soon.

REVIEW

A solid used mid-size truck

For many truck buyers, the Nissan Frontier is the ideal size pickup. This long-lived second generation, codenamed D40, went up a notch from the compact first generation to midsize, along with most of its competition. The Frontier is well liked for its everyday usability, as well as how easy it is to drive and maneuver. A double-wishbone front suspension, with a solid axle and overslung leaf springs at the rear, results in a comfortable ride on most road surfaces.

There are no surprises in its construction. The body sits on a fully boxed all-steel frame, with the hardware tucked in and up to bring ground clearance of 8.9 inches for four-wheel-drive versions, while rear-drive models have 8.6 inches. Nissan has kept things simple with just King Cab and crew cab configurations. The King has a 73.3-inch bed whose cargo volume is 33.5 cubic feet. The Crew, with four conventional doors, usually has a 59.5-inch bed, with a cargo volume of 27.1 cubic feet. From 2007, though, the crew cab could come with the longer bed. In either cargo area, there’s a factory applied spray-in bedliner complemented by the company’s Utili-track tie-down system.

The smallest of the two engine choices is a 2.5L four, initially making 154 hp at 5,200 rpm and 173 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. This engine is available only in rear-drive King versions and is capable of returning 19 mpg city, 23 mpg highway using the stock five-speed manual. Subtract a single mpg from both figures for the five-speed automatic transmission.

Most buyers will probably prefer the 4.0L V-6, good for 265 hp at 5,600 rpm and 284 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. The difference in performance is noticeable, while the difference in consumption is negligible: 16 mpg city, 20 mpg highway with the six-speed manual transmission, with one less mpg per category for the five-speed auto. This version also has a maximum towing capacity of 6,300 pounds (rear-wheel drive).

In 2006, a Power package became optional for the King XE, including keyless entry, cruise, and power accessories. As mentioned above, the long bed was now an option for ’07 crew cab models. At the same time, engine outputs were reduced to 152 hp and 171 lb-ft for the four-cylinder, while the V-6 dropped slightly to 261 hp and 281 lb-ft.

A Technology Package option came on stream in ’08, featuring an upgraded audio system with an auxiliary audio input, satellite radio, Bluetooth, steering wheel-mounted controls and a six-disc CD player. The Crew Cab’s tech pack included a 10-speaker Rockford Fosgate sound system with a subwoofer.

The ’09 model year brought a light facelift and the Nismo trim was renamed Pro-4X. Only available with the V-6, it now included a Dana 44 rear axle, locking rear differential, Bilstein off-road shocks, skid plates, splashguards and white-faced dials.

Extra safety equipment differentiates the ’10 model year, with front side airbags, side curtain airbags, and stability control all standard (they were optional before ’10). Side-step rails were now an option for the LE trim.

Trim level names for the crew cab were changed in ’12 to S, SV, SL (the longer bed was optional on both the SV and SL), although the Pro-4X stayed the same. Fuel economy for the V-6 improved in ’13 by two miles per gallon on the highway, thanks to reduced engine friction and better aerodynamics. That year also saw the introduction of the DesertRunner trim with rear-wheel drive, a five-speed automatic transmission, Bilstein shocks (like the Pro-4X), and BFGoodrich Rugged Trail tires.

An ’09 crew cab V-6 LE with four-wheel drive, the short bed, and the Technology package is valued in good condition at $16,371. A comparable Tacoma goes for $20,613, while a GMC Canyon is $15,028. And don’t forget the Suzuki Equator, the Frontier twin that was made in the same Tennessee facility as the Nissan. An ’09 RMZ-4 model with a crew cab books at $13,804.

Our last few weeks in the 2012 Nissan Frontier were just as busy as ever while we took care of some last-minute maintenance, repairs, and testing a new set of tires before having to say good-bye to Elvis.

Nearly 2000 more miles were added to our Long-term Nissan Frontier during the hot September month. It was toted out to desert for COTY testing, it hauled lumber for another home project, and took another visit to the dump.

Owners of 2005 through 2010 Nissan Frontiers, Pathfinders and Xterras are reporting premature transmission failure, according to The New York Times. The issue is caused by radiator coolant leaking into the automatic transmission, which subsequently destroys it.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defect Investigations has received 512 consumer complaints between August 2005 to May 2012 about transmission problems on 2005-2010 Frontier, Pathfinder, and Xterra models equipped with automatic transmissions.

After recalling nearly its entire truck and SUV lineup earlier this month, Nissan has a fresh notice for the 2010 model year Frontier, Pathfinder, and Xterra. Also, GM will be alerting Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana customers of a potential engine fire issue.

Even though rumors are flying that a new Ranger is coming, and Mahindra is supposed to bring its compact truck to market sometime soon, we still haven't seen any significant changes happen to the compact/midsize segment.

You have to give credit to Nissan. In fact, it might be just beginning to get it right. The PRO-4X package was the Nissan Titan's equivalent to the Silverado's Z71 or F-150's FX4 off-road packages, but it never really caught on for Nissan's big pickup.

While we're not likely to see the Nissan X-Trail 20 GT in the U.S. (the vehicle is closely related to the Rogue), it's a good bet that we'll see Nissan's new 2.0L MR9 clean diesel engine that powers it at some point in a future Nissan offering.

When Nissan was asked why there wasn't a supercharger available on the new Frontier, the response was, "It doesn't need it." A good sign. The manufacturer was aware of the previous model's shortcomings in the horsepower department and went straight to work on it with the new truck.

If you haven't heard by now, there's a midsize-pickup eruption going on. There used to be a choice of either compact or full-size pickup trucks. Then along came the Dodge Dakota-Nissans, S-10s, and Rangers.